Glenelg wins way into share of county title

Gladiators are part of three-team tie after topping Centennial, 9-3

One of the most competitive county baseball seasons in history ended appropriately yesterday in a three-way tie for the county title.

No. 10-ranked Glenelg won its sixth straight game and caught No. 8-ranked Centennial on the last day of the regular season, defeating the Eagles, 9-3.

It was the second straight county title for the defending Class 1A state champion Gladiators who survived a line drive off pitcher Jeff Starcher's throwing arm in the second inning. Starcher completed six innings, allowing four hits and three runs, two of them unearned. He struck out five and walked two.

Glenelg's victory also allowed No. 11-ranked Howard, 25-7 victors over Wilde Lake yesterday, to tie for the title -- its first championship since 1979. The Lions (16-4 overall, 14-4 league) won their last seven games and 16 of their last 17.

Centennial (15-5, 14-4) also shared a three-way county title in 1997.

"We were really pumped up for this," said Glenelg catcher Jason Weszka who had three hits and two RBIs. Teammates Jeff Starcher and Rob LaHayne each had three hits and one RBI. Brandon Robertson and Jon Hughes each had two hits and one RBI.

Glenelg (16-4, 14-4) scored two runs in the first inning on singles by Starcher, Weszka and Hughes and a throwing error by Centennial catcher Matt Deuchler.

The Gladiators added two more runs in the third inning on a walk by Matt Thrasher, a single by Hughes and a double that Chris Bowen that should have been caught but was misplayed by Centennial's left fielder.

Glenelg scored a run in the fourth inning on Weszka's RBI single. The Gladiators broke it open with a three-run, two-out, fifth-inning rally on back-to-back doubles by LaHayne and Robertson and singles by Starcher and Weszka.

A line drive by Steve Lazarawicz in the second inning hit Starcher a glancing blow on his right forearm.

"He broke that same arm the same way two years ago in summer ball and I though, oh, no, he's broken it again," Glenelg coach Tom Thrasher said. "At first, he said he was done. It was as gutsy a performance as I've seen him throw."

Softball

C. Milton Wright 10, Edgewood 0: Erin Rodecker pitched a no-hitter, and Liz McSpadden hit her first home run as the Mustangs (13-4, 8-0) clinched the Harford County title.